Let it happen
by ThreeUnicorns
Summary: Hermione was walking down the aisle. Hermione was running in the forest. Hermione was sitting at a cafe that did not serve alcohol. Hermione was without her wand and money. Hermione left London to get home.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione was walking down the aisle.

Through the veil she saw two small girls throw flowers on the ground. Both of them wore a pink dress that made them look like the princess barbies from Hermione's childhood. Both sides of the aisle were crowded with people turned around and facing her. She tried to sort out her family and friends but they seemed to be too far away.

Walking slowly, she looked down at herself. The dress was mesmerizing. It was of a creamy white color, tastily draped with lace from the chest and down. She noticed the shoes. She knew she'd never worn heels like that. They were at least four or five inches with lace and white pearls covering them. The shoes were tied to her ankle with another white lace but this one had a shade of light pink in them.

Hermione looked beautiful.

Suddenly her feet came to a halt. She had reached her destination. In front of her stood a priest she didn't recognize and slowly, slowly she turned around to face the man next to her. She could feel everybody looking at them, watching the love spiral between them but she couldn't see his face through the veil. She felt something grab the veil and pulling up over her head.

Hermione took her eyes off the floor and looked up, prepared to face the love of her life. She opened her mouth to scream when she saw the big black hole where his face should've been and suddenly everything started to spin. The colors surrounding her turned grey and she fell.

"Oh my god."

Hermione opened her eyes and found herself staring right into her pillow. What had just happened? Weirdest dream ever. And yet she could feel the goosebumps on her skin.

"Weird and scary. And real" she said out loud.

She turned around and stayed there for a while, just staring up on the ceiling. She slowly drifted away towards sleep again when there was a loud bang from the kitchen. Like it had burst her safety bubble, Hermione could hear thousand different noises outside the bedroom. Crap. She turned to look at the clock on her nightstand and sat up on the side of the bed. She knew what day it was today. Wednesday July 12. The day she had longed and earned to for almost a year now.

She went up to get her robe and opened the bedroom door. Outside, pure chaos was taking its place. Strangers were running everywhere, holding everything from flower decorations to chairs and tables. There was one guy who held something that actually looked like a fridge.

"Wizards", Hermione muttered. Her thoughts were interrupted when there was a scream behind her.

"DAAARLING!"

Oh no. It was far too early in the morning for this. Hermione put on a forced smile and went to greet Mrs Weasley who was literally storming towards her. They hugged for what seemed like ages before she would let Hermione go.

"Oh honey, where have you been?" she said while taking a step back to look Hermione up and down. "And why aren't you dressed? Haven't you showered yet? Merlin, why are you just standing there?"

Mrs Weasley took a firm grip of Hermione's arm and shoved her towards the bathroom. An adventure that lasted about 15 minutes since none of them could find their way in this enormous mansion.

"Everybody's waiting for you! Ginny and Luna are doing their hair and you mom is talking – or more like arguing – with the minister. Apparently he has, for some odd reason, changed to the muggle speech instead of the regular wizard one. What a squib, right?" At this point Hermione had stopped listening so she just nodded and made a mmhhmm sound. Good enough, she thought as the over-excited lady next to her started talking again.

"Mrs Weasl-"

"Dear, you've got to call me Molly! I think we're at that stage of our relationship, don't you?"

Hermione smiled vaguely at this failed attempt of a joke.

"Molly, I actually need to shower now so maybe you could wait outside?"

After a ton of excuses and a little more gossip Hermione could finally find herself alone in the huge bathroom. While she filled the bathtub with water she went to look at herself in the mirror. She noticed the black circles below her eyes and realized she really hadn't been able to sleep very well the last few nights. Nerves, probably. But yet she couldn't get rid of that itchy feeling in her stomach. She felt like her unconscious was trying to tell her something, she just couldn't understand what. Thinking it would pass sooner or later she slid down the bathtub.

She was not moving until she had become her normal self again.


	2. Chapter 2

Putting on a bathrobe that was way too big for her, Hermione walked out of the bathroom. She let out a sigh of relief when she couldn't see Mrs. Weasley anywhere near.

It took her about 20 minutes to find the way back to her room and when she finally got there, it wasn't the calm and silent environment she'd been expecting. Girls in all ages were running around holding their dresses while freaking out because they couldn't find any shoes that fitted. There were makeup and hair brushes all over the floor and Hermione felt like she was going to faint when she sat down on the closest chair.

Everyone was so busy they didn't even notice her not too fancy entrance.

"Ginny? GINNY?"

Hermione could see how the redhead made her way through, using mostly elbows. The look on her face was not merciful.

"And WHERE have you been if I may ask? Everyone's been working their asses off all morning so you can have the perfect day, and then when my mom finally finds you, you sneak away like a little child!"

"What? I was just taking a bath, she knew that."

Ginny raised an eyebrow.

"For _three_ hours?"

"Well, yes…" A shy smile appeared on Hermione's face and Ginny started to laugh.

"You're nuts, you know that? But now we really need to get ready! Let's start with your hair. Have you decided how you want it?"

"No, I -"

"Never mind, there really is no time. But should you have it up or down… LUNA!"

Her two friends dragged Hermione to a chair in front of a huge mirror and started to brush her hair.

"How do you feel about having it like it was during the Yule Ball? That is in fact when he realized he loved you, so it would be like a nice reminder of how it all started."

"Uhm, yeah, sure. Do whatever you want as long as I won't look like Madame Maxime."

It was hard for Hermione to keep track of all the people who put their hands in her hair. It seemed like everyone wanted to play a part in the adventure of flattening it. After what felt like forever, Ginny kneeled in front of Hermione and started with the makeup.

Like the muggle-born she was, Hermione had never put on makeup the magical way. It really was an… experience. The redhead waved her wand and suddenly Hermione felt brushes on her eyelids, cheeks and lips at the same time.

Even though all of her senses told her to run away and hide, Hermione realized there was nothing for her to do but to close her eyes, relax and keep calm.

She was half-asleep when she felt the commotion around her slowly fade away. After a few minutes Luna and Ginny were the only ones left around her. They followed Hermione to another part of the room, the corner where all the clothes were hanging, and helped her get into her dress.

In the corner of her eye Hermione saw her mother smiling.

"Close your eyes honey."

When her eyes opened again she found herself looking at the most beautiful woman she had every seen. In the mirror they had moved her to Hermione saw how two curls of her hair framed her heart-shaped face. The red lips and golden eye shadow made her eyes sparkle in the light. And then there was the dress. It was the exact same one from her dream, only it felt more.. Alive. It suited perfectly.

This was the day Hermione had been longing for since she was eleven and she looked like a goddess. She really was the luckiest girl alive.


	3. Chapter 3

Hermione was going to walk down that aisle. She was going to marry the man of her dreams. The boy she'd fallen in love with at the age of eleven. The man who'd saved her life so many times. And yet, she couldn't escape the feeling from her dream earlier in the morning. The feeling of falling helplessly into a big, black nothing.

* * *

><p>This was the best day of his life. He couldn't even compare it to other days he'd once thought of as "great". The first ride with the Hogwarts Express – easy. The day Voldemort was defeated – even easier.<p>

This was his day and he would embrace it like no one else.

* * *

><p>"I think I need to get some air."<p>

Hermione walked outside the mansion into the beautiful rose garden. The dress was definitely not too tight around her chest but she still felt like it was hard to breathe. She felt like she was trapped inside a room and there was no way to get out. And now she was going to turn the key around and lock herself in forever.

This was so stupid! Why was she thinking this? She had always loved him with all her heart. That wasn't going to change, was it? Or had it already happened, without her noticing?

Hermione walked around the mansion's garden. She shut out every thought and she focused on not feeling a thing. That's why it was such a shock when she reached the place where it would all happen. It was almost finished and there were only a few workers left who were levitating a couple of chairs.

She stood facing the aisle. It was much like the dream she'd had, only now the chairs were empty and there wasn't anyone present but her. She started to walk and with every step the feeling of falling got stronger and stronger.

Maybe she was crazy, but she doubted this was how you were supposed to feel on your wedding day.

* * *

><p>"How are you feeling?"<p>

He looked up to see his best man walk into the room. Smiling, he got up and hugged him.

"Oh. Okay. I take that as a fine."

"Take it as a 'I'm Great'."

They let go of each other and he sat down on the bed. He wanted to describe how he felt but there weren't any words good enough. It was like his heart was aching with the love and now here he was. Actually going to express his love in the only way he knew how. By marriage.

Outside the door he heard his friends and family run around, some talking with ease to each other about the weather and some panicking because the flowers were the wrong color.

"In two hours I will be happily married."

"It's hard to believe isn't it? Feels like it was only yesterday we got sorted by the sorting hat. Merlin's pants, I can't believe you are actually going to do this!"

"I love her. What else is there to do? I know I want to spend the rest of my life with her."

"And you want everyone to know that she is yours. So those stupid lovesick boys will stop writing to her, am I right?"

After a few uptight jokes about his soon-to-be parents in law, his best man – and friend – left to get ready.

Now that he was alone in the room he got up just to throw himself down on the bed again.

"I'm the luckiest man on earth."

If it hadn't been in his pocket on the other side of the room, he would've used his wand to close the window. As it was, he had to do it the muggle way. So he got up and walked to the window. That was when he noticed the beautiful view.

It wasn't the baby blue heaven together with the picturesque landscape. It wasn't the roses down the window or the wedding set up. It was the stunning woman walking down the empty aisle that made him catch his breath.

He knew that the groom wasn't supposed to see the bride before the wedding but screw superstition. The way she walked and slowly came to a halt made his heart ache, but in a good way. He was going to live with her forever and nothing could come between them.

He imagined how it would feel to stand there and see her walking towards him. To see that beautiful smile of hers come closer and closer to forever.

He saw how her turning around and how the sun made the tears on her face shimmer. She started to walk without noticing his face in the window. She walked away from the aisle and the white chairs.

Maybe it was tears of joy.

And then he saw how Hermione Granger started to run. She ran into the forest without letting Ron Weasley get a last look of her tears.


	4. Chapter 4

_**A/N:** My beloved readers. This is awkward. Okay maybe not. Anywho, this is my fourth chapter and the longest one so long. I figured, I like it better like this even if it takes a while longer to write it. Christmas break starts tomorrow which means I'll write like all of the time. I hope. _

_Also, I think I'll start naming every chapter. Forgot that in the beginning – my bad._

_A lot is not happening at the moment (in the story, that is) but I hope you'll enjoy it!_

_ l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l_

**Chapter 4 – A raspberry and blueberry pie without the berries.**

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Hermione was a mess. Tears started to stream down her face and she realized she didn't want to go through with this. She couldn't.

Yes, she loved Ron. And yes, she would probably continue to love him for the rest of their life. The only problem was that the thing separating her love for Ron and the love she felt for Harry had disappeared. Together they were her two best friends in the whole world but neither one of them would ever be more than that.

At this point Hermione had, sort of, accepted the fact that marrying Ron would be an impossible thing to do. The remaining question now was – how could she stop it? Everyone was already here. The ceremony would start in less than an hour for Merlin's sake!

Maybe it would be the best to just go through with it and then divorce Ron faster than he could say quidditch (yes, she just quoted her previous quidditch teacher).

Okay. Maybe that wasn't an option. She closed her eyes and felt her eyes fill with tears again when she imagined Ron's heartbroken face in front of her.

She gave in and let the hopelessness take over. There wasn't anything she could do.

She turned around and started to move her feet slowly back to the enormous house in front of her. One in front of the other.

_No_, she heard her inner voice say. _No, it is _not_ over. You will not walk into this miserable life when there are other options._

And for the first time in her 23-year-old life Hermione followed her instincts. She started to run.

She ran as fast as she could, making the wind blow away her tears. She crossed the line where the green forest began and ran like her life depended on it, without turning to look at what she'd just left behind.

After a while Hermione slowed down and looked at the environment surrounding her. The trees' leaves were of a clear green color and together they made their own roof, keeping the sun out.

So. This was what freedom tasted like. Hermione breathed heavily, a little exhausted from her run. The air was fresh with a scent that was a mix of the trees and flowers blooming.

The peacefulness was however interrupted by something that sounded a bit like a baby bear.

Oh. Hermione had forgotten to eat. Not that surprising since she hadn't eaten all day, afraid her dress somehow would've shrunk.

She thought of how Ginny had tried to make her eat breakfast and Hermione had promised to do it in five minutes… But forgotten. Oops.

Uh. Food. For a minute Hermione worried she would either start crying of guilt for betraying her friends – and her mum – or drooling. At the moment, the second option seemed more likely.

Hermione wondered how she would find a way out of the forest and if maybe there was a bus that could take her back to London. Or, she thought, she could realize that she was a witch who certainly wasn't in need of a muggle map or public transport.

Okay.. Food would taste good right now, she told herself before apparating back to the city, back to her beloved London.

* * *

><p>Harry knocked on the door several times before he opened it cautiously, wondering why his friend wasn't answering. He entered the room to find Ron below the window. He was sitting on the floor with his back leaning on the wall.<p>

"What in Merlin's pants are you doing? Aren't you ready yet? It is time to go!"

Ron just shook his head.

"There won't be a wedding."

"What are you talking about? Of course there will, everyone are already sitting out there waiting for you."

"No, Harry", Ron lifted his head up to look into the green eyes. "There won't. The wedding is off."

Harry's facial expression at this moment was very similar to Crabbe's during his NEWT's in Hogwarts.

"I-I…. I… You have to go out or Hermione will worry you've gotten cold feet."

Ron laughed.

"Cold feet? COLD FEET?" He stood up with a furious fire burning in his eyes. "What is it that you don't understand? THERE WON'T BE A BLOODY WEDDING!"

Ron turned around only to notice that the wind had blown the window wide open. He walked closer and looked down at the wedding guests. It seemed like everyone had heard his little outburst and were now looking around to find the source of the screaming.

"Hermione left." It was only when he said this that Harry was able to hear the longing and despair in his best friend's voice.

He walked up to the 23 year old man who was like his own brother and hugged him. For a while they just stood like that, without moving, the only sound being Ron's occasional sobbing,

Harry patted him on the back, a bit awkwardly sure but it seemed to calm his friend down.

"It's okay mate. It'll be okay."

Maybe she'd left to get something for the wedding reception. Or she'd found her dress was too tight so she'd thought some exercising in the woods would fix it? While thinking this Harry knew what had really happened.

He knew Hermione too well and, now that he thought of it, he'd probably been suspecting her doubts about this wedding for a while.

* * *

><p>Hermione was sitting in at the so called bar in a so called café with a latte. It wasn't really a bar since they didn't serve any alcohol (what a pity), they didn't have enough sugary pastries to be called a café. On top on all of that, Hermione suspected the latte consisted of more water than milk and coffee – together.<p>

At least she wasn't hungry anymore. It had been truly difficult to actually find the berries in her raspberry-blueberry pie she'd eaten earlier but she wasn't the one to complain.

The waiter walked up to her and took away the empty glass in front of her. She noticed the darkness outside the windows and realized the place were probably closing for the night.

Damn, she was in desperate need of some firewhiskey. Where was she supposed to go? Her wallet was still at the mansion, together with her purse and all of her other belongings. She would've summoned it back to her if she hadn't left her wand at the failed wedding too.

So here she was. No money, muggle or wizard, no keys to her home (which she shared with Ron so that wasn't an option either way) and, most importantly, no wand.

The only positive thing she could find in the situation was that, during the war years earlier, they had all learnt how to apparate without their wands.

While she thought of this she realized where she could go. Where she would be welcomed.

After all these years, Hermione was going home.

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**_A/N: _**_Okay I just have a tiny, little question for you guys. I realized (my favorite word, you'll notice that quickly if you continue reading) (which I hope you do) the chapters are a bit too serious for their names. Do you think that something that'll bother you? _

_This is my first fanfiction so I'm really new at this... _

_Right. I'll stop bothering you now._****  
><strong><strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** _Finally, chapter 5 is done. Complete. Finito. I haven't had any time during the past week, but… Ehm. Yeah. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I know I have. Wink wink. _

_No, but siriously. I hope you'll enjoy reading this chapter, even if it's most thoughts and Hermione describing stuff. _

_Last but not least, I would like to thank Petra – the one who read through the chapter and left no more than 56 comments. Some really entertaining, like _"sentences are not mini-vans" _and "_NONONONONOOOO"_ when I started a sentence with an 'and'. Without her the chapter would be even worse than it is now._

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**Chapter 5 – The Three Broomsticks **

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Hermione was walking down an empty street. During the time it had taken for her to get there, the sun had set, leaving only darkness behind.

"Stupid apparation thing", she muttered to herself. It was quite annoying traveling without a wand. The thing was, they had all learnt how to apparate without a wand during the last year of the war, for their own safety and all that. Hermione had actually been one of the first to accomplish the very hard task but during the years that had passed she seemed to have forgotten a thing or two. Every now and then she appeared at a place that was the opposite of what she'd thought of. Why it had worked out fine earlier that day but not now she had no idea.

It wasn't like she had planned to go to Trafalgar Square and get caught in the middle of a robbery. After her arrival there it wasn't like she could just make a _poof_ and disappear. Even if she, anonymously, had become the hero of the day by making the robber's gun useless, it wasn't making her very proud of herself. Wandless magic was something she hardly mastered and the outcome of her savior had been a bit too similar to Lockman's in their second year.

Shaking off her disturbing thoughts, Hermione decided to spend the night at The Three Broomsticks. It wouldn't serve her purposes very well walking into Hogwarts in the middle of the night. Hermione was positive the castle would have some enchantments ready to prevent unwanted people to enter in the middle of the night. Voldemort's death had not made the world all pink and puffy, that's for sure.

* * *

><p>Hermione found herself walking down the aisle, once again. When she looked down, the dress and the shoes were too familiar. She recognized this dream; She had been here before. Hermione looked up to see the unfamiliar faces once again and, after what felt like hours, reached the altar. Ron's face was still missing, replaced by a black hole.<p>

Hermione looked into what was supposed to be her soon-to-be husband's face, waiting for the ground below her feet to disappear. It was awful, that feeling of hopelessness. She had to wait for the fall without being able to move anywhere. To add to her discomfort, it seemed like the more she expected the fall to come, the longer it took for the horrible moment to actually arrive.

Since her muscles wouldn't do what she told them to, she stayed at the altar, waiting for the fall she knew would come. She waited for the darkness to evolve around her. And she waited and waited.

* * *

><p>Hermione woke up in her bed, drenched in sweat. At first she wondered for a moment what had happened, but then a feeling of desperation caught her. She felt like something awful was about to happen to her and there was nothing she could do about it.<p>

She made a mental note that the following night, she would definitely take a Dreamless Sleep before bed. Another dream like this wouldn't be very nice.

_Ugh._ Especially not nice to her face, she thought after she'd noticed the dark,, almost teabags below her eyes. She was in desperate need of some serious beauty sleep.

She entered the small bathroom to take a shower. Oh god what a relief - she hadn't had a shower since the… She couldn't finish the sentence, even in her head. When she thought about the previous day there was a sting in her heart before her body went completely numb. It took several minutes before she could let go of the shower curtain, ready to rely on her legs to carry her again again.

Carefully, she grabbed the shampoo bottle. She was just about to rinse it out of her hair when there was a soft knocking on the door. Although it requested the whole of her will-power, she finished in the shower and covered herself in the softest bathrobe she'd ever encountered. A part of Hermione's brain wanted to lie down on the bathroom floor and just cuddle with the white robe for all eternity but yet she went out to find the bedroom completely empty. She turned to the door and saw a tray floating in the air. There was coffee, bread, pumpkin juice and... _Oh gosh._ She could smell it from where she stood.

There were croissants. Probably warm and filled with chocolate. Drooling slightly, she grabbed the tray and placed it on the end of the bed.

Wizard hotels - the best part of being a witch. All right, maybe not the best, but it was definitely in the top 20. Although The Three Broomsticks wasn't really a hotel, there were just a couple of rooms on the third floor that could be rented for a day or two (she'd been lucky there was an empty one). It was also very fortunate that she was without the need to pay right then and there – after all, the staff knew her well. After she'd told them she was missing her wand and wallet, they'd agreed to let her pay a few days later.

Hermione ate her breakfast, got dressed and left the building with butterflies constantly making a mess in her stomach. Why was she nervous? It wasn't like she was going to get a death sentence or something even the slightest similar to it.

While walking, desperete not to think about the previous day, she wondered if anyone would mind obliviating her. She didn't want to forget everything that had happened. She wondered what everyone she cared about was thinking of her. What the rest of the wizarding world said about her... (Most people had after all known about the wedding, it wasn't like all the gossips would miss two thirds of the golden trio's marriage.) She

Her thoughts were interrupted when the rest of her body stopped. In front of Hermione were the large doors she recognized so well. In fact, she could see the dents and scratches that hadn't been repaired after the war. Probably because they had been caused by dark magic, she thought.

Then her thoughts were interrupted once again. The doors swung open and a surprised smile stretched out on her face.

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**A/N:** _This chapter is.. Clearly not the best I've written. Not even a dialogue. But I know what's going to happen, and it was necessary with a kind of bridge to the… happenings. It will happen soon, I hope. I really can't decide, the story does. I just write what my brain tells me to. And if you don't like it, so be it. Me and my personalities love it, and that's enough. Kind of. Next chapter will be posted soon, that's a promise. _


	6. Chapter 6

_**A/N:**__ "Next chapter will be posted soon, that's a promise." MY ASS! I wonder who said that, what a liar. _

_To be honest, I don't really have an excuse. I just waited for inspiration and I got it – only it was inspiration I can't use for several chapters. So now I just finished this (yes, 9.30pm on a Friday night) (yes, I do have a life. Sometimes.) and I realized I've actually missed writing. So maybe I'll start on chapter 7 right away. Only time will tell. Or you can ask my imaginary cat, he knows since he's god. _

_And I just have to promote one thing: me and FreakyElla have written a fanfic by emailing parts to each other and now we've posted it here! The author is _Unicorn And Freaky_, the name is _The Most Epic Email Conversation Ever Written_. You'll love it. They shag like bunnies a lot._

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**Chapter 6 – One Man Less**

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Hermione resisted the urge to run into the arms of her old professor. McGonagall had not changed a bit during the last years. That was probably a reason for Hermione's surprise when she noticed a tear in her old teacher's eye. In her seven years at Hogwarts, even during the war, she had never seen McGonagall cry a single tear.

Well, this was a new thing for sure. And now, this silence was turning into an awkward one. And it was caused by Hermione's lack of words. She couldn't speak. What was there to say? _"Hi you, let me in won't you? I just left my fiancé, your former student, an hour before our wedding. I know you haven't heard from me for three years but would you mind getting me some pumpkin juice and maybe a room?"_

Something told Hermione that, no matter what it sounded like in her head, this strategy wouldn't work.

The silence was killing her slowly.

"Hi, professor."

Hi?_ HI?_ She had never heard anyone greet a Hogwarts professor with a _hi._ There had definitely been too many muggle TV-shows appearing on her TV lately._ Good thing then that Ron probably had thrown it out by now_, she thought. If she knew him well enough – and she did – he would want to get rid of everything that was a reminder of her.

Watching the tear fall down the neutral face of her former Professor made Hermione come back to life. She felt a strong grip on her left upper arm and was suddenly pulled into the castle and dragged up the stairs.

A few minutes of silent walking later, McGonagall left Hermione outside the Gargoyle that led to Dumbledore's office. _Stupid._ Hermione could slap herself in the face. _The Headmistress' office, not Dumbledore's._ The room belonged to the person holding her arm now. Hermione had to fight the urge to scream when the gargoyle started to move. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't even heard McGonagall say the password.

Hermione watched as McGonagall made her way up the stairs and then followed. When she walked into the room she was surprised by the amount of people in it. Not one of them seemed curious about who had interrupted their meeting.

Something had happened. Something serious. While Hermione had been exploring the faces of her old teachers, McGonagall had placed herself in the Headmistress' chair behind the desk.

Hermione glanced at the Headmistress before she sat down on a chair closest to the exit. No one broke the silence for what felt like hours. While waiting for something – anything - to happen, Hermione started to look around the room. It had certainly changed a lot since the last time she'd been here, that night when Voldemort had died. At the same time, it looked exactly the same. This made her think of her old school days, of all the memories that took place in this very castle. The studying in the library, the sneaking out under the cloak with Harry and Ron during their first years. Her first kiss with Ron outside the Room of Requirement. _Everything had been so easy back then. You've got to get yourself together! _She told herself. _You don't have time to go all sentimental now, there's something going on. _She struggled to ignore the aching in her heart and concentrated on the present.

"Filius Flitwick has gone missing." McGonagall's voice filled the room.

Several gasps could be heard around the room and Hermione herself wasn't sure of how to react. _Missing?_ The only person in the room that didn't look surprised was Kingsley Shacklebolt, who was sitting in the chair closest to the desk. He rose to say something.

"We've been trying some basic locating spells, without being able to find anything. Our prime suspicions go to the former Death Eaters who are still on the loose, but we have no proof."

Kingsley looked around the room before he sat back down on his chair. After the first shock had settled, Hermione realized this hadn't been a complete surprise. There was still, after all these years, a lot of Death eaters who weren't dead nor in Azkaban. And they wouldn't settle until they had gotten their revenge.

There was a few sighs before McGonagall took over.

"We summoned you here today because you have to be careful. Voldemort may be dead but a lot of his followers are still out there, and they are not settling without their revenge. It's not possible for them to come inside the Hogwarts grounds but that is not a reason for you to be less careful." There was a silent moment while McGonagall took a deep breath. "Now,I might have found someone who can teach Charms during Flitwick's… absence when the students return from their summer vacation in a few weeks."

"During this time me and Minerva will gather the remains of the Order and we will do all that's possible to find Filius" Kingsley was speaking again, like a true Minister of Magic. Although he'd resigned a couple of years earlier there wasn't anyone who could question the authority in his voice. "All we need you to do is to remain calm in front of the students. Panicking and turning paranoid won't help you any more than it will help the kids, or Filius for that matter. This will not be kept a secret like it would've in the old days and people will be asking questions. "

He turned around and started to talk quietly with McGonagall. The Hogwarts teachers realized the meeting was over and started to walk out the room. Some discussing the news, some still silent with surprised expressions on their faces.

The room cleared out and Kingsley started to walk towards the door as well. Almost out of the door, he turned around and looked at Hermione who was standing next to a bookshelf.

"I'm sorry I don't have any more time right now, Hermione, we'll have to get together some other time."

Hermione nodded slowly and watched him leave the room. She really hadn't seen Kingsley since she had worked at the ministry for 6 months a couple of years after the war had ended. Kingsley had been the Minister of Magic back then and she had taken the job to save money for an apartment. An apartment she had shared with Ron. _Oh not again,_ she thought as she felt the tears fill her eyes. Even with McGonagall in the same room she felt as lonely as ever.

There was a soft cough and Hermione took a deep breath and raised her head. Her old Transfiguration teacher nodded her head slightly towards the chair next to her and waited for Hermione to come sit down.

"I guess this wasn't how you expected your welcome back was going to be?"

It was everything but hard to notice the sadness in her eyes, but there was also a tiny, little glimpse that could only be compared to Dumbledore's.

"What brings you here today, Miss Granger?"

"I-I..." Hermione stopped. The realization quite shocked her. She had no idea why she had come. "I don't know, professor."

"Well, I don't mean to be rude and skip the small talk or so but we do have a missing professor here."

"Y-yes, I understand that…" The disappointment was overwhelming her. Of course staying at the castle wasn't an option, especially not with Professor Flitwick missing. What had she thought, really? She prepared to get up and leave when McGonagall's question took her by complete and utter surprise.

"How would you like to teach Charms here at Hogwarts?"


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N: **Ohoy mates! Seems like it's been a while. So I finally pulled myself together and finished this chapter... I can't say it's the best I've ever written, far from it, but I just needed to publish something. I've missed writing and who knows, maybe this is the push I need? Maybe I'll ignore school completely and just write all day. That could probably work well enough._

_Please keep in mind that my beta went to sleep yesterday when I had only written half the chapter. Which pretty much means I was my own beta for the rest. Don't hate me, okay? Let me know the mistakes and weird sentences and I'll correct them. _

_One more thing before I stop this useless rambling.. The house-elf that leads Hermione to her room was temporarily called BLABLA since I couldn't come up with a name. I tried really hard thinking of something that wasn't Dobby, Winky or Kreacher but instead I just replaced it with the word "elf". Boring, huh? If you have suggestions that's not Sunny or Hooey (my imagination is quite weird), tell me them. Pretty please?_

_Okay so BYE! Enjoy, my loved ones. _

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**A Tapestry, a Bed and a Missing Watch**

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"Charms?"

There was no question about the question mark in that... question.

"It's truly awful that they took Professor Flitwick, and we _will_ find him soon, I promise. But that doesn't mean I'll let the students' education take the bullet. We need someone who knows the subject well and is willing to stay here for as long as needed. We need a substitute."

Hermione could almost hear her own brain processing the new information. _Charms._ She had to turn the offer down, in some way. _Hogwarts._ She didn't even remember that much from Charms class. Oh, who was she kidding, of course she did! She'd actually read a book called _Charms in the Open_ just last week. But that didn't mean she was a proper teacher.

"I'll do it!"

Merlin's butt cheeks with a second grade burn. What was she doing?

Wait. Was McGonagall raising her eyebrows? No, that was _not_ possible. Hogwarts professors did not raise their eyebrows. Great, she thought. Now she was hallucinating.

"What will I be doing here?"

Hermione nodded and made slight humming noises as McGonagall answered her question. She tried really hard to listen and concentrate on her – it felt weird even thinking it – new teaching job's responsibilities but gave up after a while. Her head was spinning and for a few moments she feared she was going to faint.

"Well, miss Granger, you look a little tired. I have to leave for a meeting with the Order but a house-elf will lead you to your temporary room and we will discuss the rest tomorrow."

Hermione just nodded slowly and started to walk towards the door. There was a noise when McGonagall disappeared into the fireplace and Hermione left. Next to the gargoyle stood a tiny house-elf who, she presumed, was waiting for her.

"Miss Granger!"

The elf bowed so deep, her nose literally touched the floor.

"It is an honor to escort Miss Granger to her room, Miss."

Hermione looked at the elf with tired eyes before nodding. Making a mental note that she had to start with S.P.E.W. again she started to walk a few steps behind the elf. Since walking without thinking seemed to be easier than multitasking and doing both, Hermione pushed the thoughts of the past 48 hours' events to the back of her head. They weren't going anywhere. All she wanted right now was a bed. Or couch. Or just a plain chair - she wasn't really that picky at the moment.

Finally the very odd looking couple reached their destination. In a corridor close to Professor Flitwick's office and the Charms classroom there was a huge tapestry that Hermione had never noticed before. It seemed to show some sort of battle between wizards. She probably knew a lot about it, since she was one of the few who actually paid attention in History of Magic, but she was simply too tired to give a rat's ass.

The room was overwhelming. It was quite small, definitely smaller than the students' dorms, but the height made it feel a lot bigger. It was at least 10 feet to the ceiling and the sun lit up all four walls of the room. Hermione walked towards the large window and was, right next to the Forbidden Forest, able to see what seemed to be a part of Hagrid's hut.

"Is something wrong, Miss?"

Hermione had been standing, looking at the sky for several minutes when the house-elf interrupted her very poet-like moment. She forced herself to smile.

"Everything is fine, thank you so much."

She wanted to make it clear for the elf how grateful she was but then there was a crack and Hermione was all alone in her new room.

"So this is it. This is my new home."

Not really expecting an answer Hermione went to lie down on the bed. It was quite the flashback to her first year at Hogwarts when she saw that her bags had already been transported from the Three Broomsticks to the floor next to her bed. What now?

After pondering over her situation for a while Hermione reached the conclusion that this was for the best. She was well aware that she wouldn't be able to face any family members and friends for some time. The problem was her work. She would have to go back to the Ministry in one, perhaps two months. If she just waited and dealt with that later, perhaps she would get the peace she longed for so much.

* * *

><p>Hermione woke up with her back aching like someone was giving her a backrub using a pair of <em>really<em> high heels. _Ouch_. She got up of the bed and looked around the dark room. The bed's covers had fallen down onto the floor and one of her shoes had, somehow, taken its place next to her pillow. One thing was clear: Hermione was _not_ falling asleep with her clothes on again any time soon. She spent a few minutes on the quest of digging out her watch from out of the covers. Unfortunately there was no success in this, so she decided to take a little walk down to the kitchens.

She was halfway through the entrance to a secret passage, which would lead to the first floor, when she realized she's a teacher. And teachers don't use secret passages, right? Right.

It felt like hours had passed when Hermione finally tickled the pear outside the kitchens. Her stomach had been doing awful noises for a little too long. There had been no inconvenient encountering with anyone on her route down there which made her wonder what the time actually was. After asking one of the elves in the kitchens she found out it was almost 10 pm. _Oops_. How long had she been asleep? She found it a little odd that no-one had come looking for her but guessed everyone was busy with the disappearance of Flitwick.

Hermione ate like she hadn't seen food for 3 weeks before going back to her room. Despite the fact that she'd slept through the whole afternoon, her bed was all she could think about. Sleep was clearly underestimated. When the entrance to her room appeared behind the tapestry she walked inside and fell right onto the bed. She'd already slept with her clothes on once that day so she figured once more wouldn't hurt.

Her last thought before drifting to sleep was of Ron.

* * *

><p>The following two weeks passed in a blur. Hermione spent the time either in her room or the library. She went through Flitwick's schedules and plans for the upcoming school year, what she was expected to do and what responsibilities she had been handed. There was something oddly safe in sitting alone in the library, researching charms. She got the feeling that she was back here as a student, and at any moment Harry and Ron would storm through the library doors talking excitedly about how they'd beaten Slytherin in Quidditch before copying her Potions essay. They'd had no problem in the world. Except for the small inconvenience called Voldemort, of course, and everyone else who had tried to kill them over the years. But it had still been them, the golden trio, the three of them against the world. Had she ruined that forever?<p>

Since the students wouldn't arrive for another few days and a lot of the teachers were away on Order business, she ate her meals alone. Most of them in her room, but sometimes, when her mind wandered to places she wasn't quite enjoying, like now, she took the occasional visit to the kitchens. Right now she was sitting by her desk in her room going through the list of her soon-to-be students. There were some names she recognized, like Nott and Patil, but it was only 5 years since they'd graduated – no one could've brought up an 11 year old. It was probably only coincidences or relatives. Noting that the sun was shining right onto her desk (she still hadn't been able to find her watch) she considered calling an elf to get her lunch. Her conclusion was that that would be too much of a contradiction so she left the room and started to walk towards the kitchens instead. She chose to take a secret passage that started behind the statue of a knight. After being here for a few days Hermione had realized how silly it was of her not to use the knowledge the Marauder's Map had taught her. Plus, it wasn't like anyone would mind. She never encountered a living person on her walks down the corridors (although Hermione and Sir Nicholas had indeed had some nice chats). Not that she wasn't enjoying the absence of others; on the contrary she loved the peace and quiet she was given at Hogwarts. In fact, she wouldn't mind if the train would somehow be delayed a week or two…

Hermione continued to figure out a way that could make the students stay away from school (she came as far as to doing a few tricks like muggle "wizards". The only difference would be that instead of pulling just one rabbit out of the hat, she would make the whole castle overflow with murderous and red-eyed albino ones) while walking around the corner and stopping in front of the kitchens' entrance. Right when she was stretching out her arm to tickle the pear, the painting flew open. Her first reaction was to turn around and grab the cloak from Harry but soon she pulled herself together and stood tall. She was a teacher now - well, a substitute at least - and no one could tell her she wasn't allowed down here. It was probably only Filch and Mrs. Norris.

Hermione Granger couldn't have been more wrong.

"What are _you_ doing here?"

_**A/N (again):** There's a lot of text in this chapter. Hardly any talking. But we'll get to it, I promise. The last sentence is a sign of it, see?_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **_Yo peeps! So, guess where I went last week? London! Warner Bros. Studio Tour! The most amazing day of my life. And, as a form of tribute to the wonderful thing that is Harry potter, I thought I would finally finish the chapter I started on like four months ago. _

_And, before we start… I want to apologize officially for the OOC of this story. Of all the characters OOCness. And of the non-existing British. I might start trying to get the language less American and more British, like it is supposed to be, but I don't know. It's hard. I'm awful at this. Anyways… Enjoy! The first 750 words were written at 1am in February. Therefore the randomness. And weirdness. And everything. _

_Recap: Hermione was on her way to lunch (I want lunch too. But you don't usually eat lunch when it's 6.42pm). Someone opened the door before her. Who can it be? *Drum rolls*. _

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**Pumpkin pie for lunch**

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Hold on a second, was that..? No, it couldn't be. Or was it? No, it was impossible.

Hermione felt her head was spinning. The white beard and hair was extremely confusing.

"Dumbledore?"

Everything went black.

* * *

><p>"He-Hermione? Are you alright?"<p>

Hermione opened her eyes a little but closed them almost immediately again. It was just so _bright_. Her head was aching and when she touched her forehead with her hand, she could feel a small bump.

She tried to open her eyes again, this time prepared for the bright lighting. The sight that met her was not what she was prepared for. Dumbledore was standing over her, eyeing her warily. The problem was that… it wasn't really Dumbledore. The eyes were different.

"Hermione?"

The teeth were wrong too. Now that she thought about it, everything was wrong but the white hair. Slowly, not wanting to risk fainting again, Hermione sat up. Apparently the almost-Dumbledore had laid her down on a bench in the kitchen.

"Oh, I wasn't sure you were really awake this time. You woke up a few times earlier, ranting about a flower called Flooz and a raccoon that I'm pretty sure you referred to as Donx. You are awake, right?"

"Yes, I'm quite certain I'm awake. What are you doing here, Neville?"

"Didn't you know? I wa..."

Hermione giggled.

"What happened to your hair? And when exactly did you grow a beard?"

Neville raised an eyebrow. Or was it two? Hermione wasn't really sure.

"Guess you're still a little out of it. You hit the floor quite hard on your way down, you know."

"Well, it's not every day you see a resurrected Hogwarts Headmaster."

A house-elf, the same one that had led her to the room on her first day, arrived with a glass of something green and slimy.

"Madam Pomfrey is still away on holidays so I decided to make you this, to ease the pain a little. It should work, I think."

Hermione shot Neville a questioning look before drinking all of the glass' substance at once.

"Oh my god."

She stood up and leaned her forearms on the table next to her. The nausea was making her head spin.

"I haven't really learnt everything about healing potions yet, to be honest…"

Hermione resisted the urge to vomit and sat down again.

"It's alright." She pointed to the bench on the other side of the table and smiled at her old classmate. "Now, will you tell me what's going on?"

"I'm not quite sure of where to start… But oh well. Somewhere will be good. Right, did you hear about Professor Sprout last year?"

"She had an accident of some kind, didn't she?"

"Yes. An owl accidentally flew into a pot on her desk in one of the greenhouses, and some of the… content ended up in the glass of pumpkin juice that had been standing next to the pot. As it turned out, the content was real poisonous and… Well, the next day during class, Professor Sprout grew thirsty."

"What happened?"

"She swore not to set her foot in a greenhouse again in her life. Someone at the Leaky Cauldron told me about the open position as a Herbology Professor at Hogwarts and here I am."

"Wow. I'm sorry for Sprout but congratulations Neville! We always knew you'd turn into something great in the future."

That seemed to make Neville's smile wider than she'd ever seen it before. Hermione even thought she could see his ears make a little dance out of joy. Or maybe that was the bump on her forehead playing with her.

"Thanks. Anyway, during the second term last year I only worked here as a substitute, and this will be my start here as an actual professor. Yesterday I had to do some errands in Diagon Alley to prepare the first weeks' classes and I happened to bump into George Weasley. Naturally, I had to visit Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and say hello to Lee Jordan as well, see how the two of them are doing, working together and all. After showing me their new products, they dragged me into their office. Said they had a present to celebrate my new job. Apparently the gift was a new spell they'd been working on. One that makes you grow hair and beard like Dumbledore. Told me it would be nice to come back to Hogwarts honouring an old headmaster."

"…"

"I know. It should wear off sometime during the next 24 hours though, so thankfully it will be gone when the students arrive. At least that's what I'm hoping for."

Hermione raised an eyebrow before Neville let out a sigh.

"It will be gone when the term starts. It has to. Merlin, I have to get back at those two somehow…"

"Oh yes, you have to do something get back at them! Show them that karma really is a bitch."

"Kar-what?"

"A muggle thing, just forget about it. But Neville, this means we're going to be working together!"

Neville smiled and sat down at the other side of the table. A house-elf brought them butterbeer and some pumpkin pie. What a lunch. The two of them discussed the following term, what it would be like when the students arrived and what had happened in their lives during the last few years. Neither Hermione nor Neville mentioned Ron or the wedding. Hermione couldn't express in words how grateful she was for Neville not bringing it up.

They sat there for just about two hours before deciding they should get back to work. They were going to grab necessary books and quills in their rooms before meeting up in the library. Hermione got up but before turning around towards the door she heard someone else open it. She watched as Neville's eyes got as big as tea cups and wondered who could possibly cause such a surprise to her usually calm and steady friend.

The stranger coughed slightly before talking.

"I heard them discussing all the new, young teachers this year but I certainly didn't expect this! How _lovely_ to be working with you two!"

Hermione felt as though something terrible had happened to her before oh-so-joyful mood. Malfoy. Sodding _Malfoy._ What was he doing there? This new plan of hers was supposed to turn out just fine. She would stay at Hogwarts for a while until she'd sorted some things out. And, of course, until they'd found the real Charms Professor. She'd thought there was actually a slight chance for her to be happy again. _Hermione Granger, always the optimist._ She felt like punching her face for believing, even for just two seconds, that she wouldn't have to pay for what she did to Ron.

"Is that all I get? Glares? Not even a smile? Hello? Malfoy, how nice to see you! Malfoy, how have you been? Malfoy, what are you doing here?" The fake smile on his face faded until his mouth formed nothing but a thin line. "I suppose I'll postpone my lunch until later." With that, he turned around and walked out the door.

Neville stood with his mouth wide open.

"What just happened?"

_**A/N: **Lots of conversation in this one. Not so much food. Gosh I'm hungry._


	9. Chapter 9

_**A/N:** My class is about to end in four minutes so let's make this quick. After a little more than 1000 words, I realized how completely boring this chapter was. So at 1am tonight I decided to add a little spice... Didn't go too well, I suppose. Anyway, I want to post this as soon as possible and I don't have the patience to wait for anyone to beta the last part, so please excuse the amount of errors. Feel free to send me a dozen hate messages and complain to the owners of ffnet. Maybe they'll remove my story completely and we all can live happily ever after. 1 minute left of this class! Hurry curry._

_And while I'm on it - I think I mix the words Headmaster and Headmistress a few times in this chapter.. Promise I'll change it as soon as I can.  
><em>

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**Dead and Gone**

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When Hermione entered the Great Hall she was amazed by its greatness. She could see her tiny, bushy-haired self walk between the tables while feeling like she could either master anything in the world, or break in half at any second. She had been nervous. Anxious. Scared. But the feeling that had conquered in the end, when the hat had finally yelled out _GRYFFINDOR_, had been excitement. No matter how many times one would read Hogwarts: A History, there was no imagining the feeling of actually being there. Finally it had been Hermione's turn to experience it. She remembered noticing another boy, wearing glasses, next to another red-haired boy. At this Hermione was overwhelmed by the aching inside her present self. _Don't think of him, Hermione. Don't let him get you down._ Giving a small head-shake she continued walking next to the tables that were now ready for welcoming both old and new students back.

She saw Neville sitting by the teacher's table and sat down next to him. Both were quiet for several minutes, both mesmerized by the thought of this being their home again, until Neville broke the silence.

"Feels a bit like coming back home, doesn't it?"

Hermione could do nothing but smile. The happiness flew through her and she wanted to laugh out loud, jump around on the tables and scream, all at the same time.

"But you've been here one term already. This feeling can't be particularly new, can it?"

"Last term… I was lost. Pretty out of it, I think. I had no clue what I was doing. But now I've had lots of time during the summer to think about things, I'm a permanent teacher and I don't know. Last term wasn't real, it didn't feel like I was actually here. Now I am. And the thought of having a friend, who's not over 90 years old and hasn't taught here since 1939, helps a little." Hermione returned Neville's smile. "But like you said, I've had over 6 months to digest and adapt myself to the life here, once again. How are you feeling? Do you think you'll miss your home in London?"

Hermione waited a few minutes before answering. What was it truly like, being back?

"To be honest, I don't think I've been home anywhere since Hogwarts. I never moved back to my parents' and the only permanent flat I had was the one I lived in with Ron. And no matter how much I hate to say it, I never got that homey feeling there."

Neville listened patiently. Since their first meeting a couple of weeks ago, the subject Ron had only come up a few times. Maybe it was about time. Hermione did feel quite close to Neville since he was the only true company she'd had. The teachers – the _other_ teachers, she corrected herself - never stayed for more than two or three days and she hadn't come across Malfoy after his appearance in the kitchen. Not that she minded, it was a relief not having to socialize with a ferret all of the time. Hermione did have a lot in common with Neville though and they had a nice time accompanying each other during meal times and work.

"Have you talked to him since… Er… You know, the…"

"The almost wedding? No, I haven't. I talked a little to Harry to see what had happened after I left and apparently he'd gotten quite… Furious. Not that surprisingly - you don't want to mess with Ron's temper. I've sent a few letters to Ginny and Luna as well but both have been busy with their own lives so—"

Hermione interrupted herself. She was rambling. Hermione Granger was _not_ a person to ramble.

"Let's talk about something else, shall we?" She said, changing the subject rather drastically.

The conversation topic that followed was not particularly one of Hermione's favourites.

"Yes! Should we talk about me or, perhaps, whatever comes to mind… Like me!" A certain blonde ferret had quietly made his way down the hall and was now standing on the other side of the teacher's table. Hermione turned to face Neville.

"Do we really have to eat our meals with _him_?"

"I'm afraid so."

A sigh could be heard from both of the two.

"Why do the students have to arrive so soon? What if…"

Neville raised his eyebrows in question.

"What if, the Hogwarts Express accidentally broke and they would have to delay the arrival a few days? We could go back to eating in the kitchens, and it would therefore buy us more time away from Malfoy!" While Hermione smiled and looked similar to an eccentric and overall crazy scientist – she was rather proud over this genius idea - Neville raised his eyebrows once again.

"Hermione… Are you certain that it's pumpkin juice in that cup and not something, I don't know, stronger?"

A bright shade of red appeared on Hermione's cheeks.

"Guess I got a little excited. Maybe it's the nervousness. I can't believe today is the day!"

"Quite exciting isn't it? You are certainly going to make an interesting teacher for the students." Hermione found herself being almost curious at where exactly Malfoy was heading with this… dared she say compliment? "They will just love someone that's using the classes as a reading opportunity instead of actually teaching. When we went here I loved being able to do whatever you wanted in class without an adult caring."

"Hmpf," was the very intelligent sound coming out of Hermione. What a compliment it had been. While talking, Malfoy had taken a seat on the opposite side of the Headmaster's chair.

"Mind your own business, Malfoy. This is exactly like in the good old days – nobody cares what you think!"

"You're probably right. Merlin, what was I thinking? I wonder what McGonagall and all of the other authorities were thinking when they decided to _ask_ me if I would like to teach Potions. I'm sure they all think some mudbl—"

"Sod off, Malfoy."

At this Hermione turned with a surprised look to Neville. She gave him an appreciating and thankful smile before returning to her breakfast. Who knew he would be the one to end an "argument" with Malfoy? People really did change, after all. _Obviously,_ Hermione thought. _Just look at myself. I turned from a happy, successful student surrounded by love and friends, to someone who has to escape to her old school only for the sake of happiness. _

Sadness and, to Hermione's great discomfort, tears were creeping up on her. She would not allow herself to cry. Not in the Great Hall, not on the day of the student's arrival. Before she could open her mouth to ask where McGonagall and the teachers were, Malfoy decided it was time for a sensational comeback.

"Longbottom… I am not saying this to make you uncomfortable, or stressed in any way. I understand where this confidence has its routs. You are a war hero. People have shouted your name, they've read about you in The Daily Prophet. Like I said, you were and are a war hero. The problem is, you are not the only one. There are too many war heroes out there, people who helped bringing down The Dar-, Voldemort, no one can keep track of them all. Yes, they shouted your name, but it was amongst hundreds of others. Please, I'm asking you, don't think too much of yourself. I am saying this for your own good, so you won't make a fool of yourself. Nobody really cares. I honestly don't think that anyone in the whole Wizarding World would mind, or even notice, if you took your herbs and flowers and fled to the Pyrenees. Except that precious little grandmother of yours."

Hermione sat with her mouth wide open, not sure of what had just happened. Was she dreaming? Though she knew it was wrong, she was afraid of looking at Neville. Of looking into his eyes, Malfoy's rant slowly sinking into realization. It wasn't true at all – of course it wasn't, but meeting Neville's hurt eyes was more than Hermione could bare. Instead she did the only thing she could think of.

She threw out the content of the cup in front of her, aiming on the blonde hair at an insignificant distance away.

"I hear pumpkin juice is a real wonder for your hair," Hermione said as she heard Neville spit out his own juice behind her.

Draco turned around, ever so slowly, and faced Hermione. He got up from his chair and took the few steps necessary to stand with nothing but a few inches between his and Hermione's face. His eyes were burning with fury, an anger Hermione had never seen in anyone's face before. Not being able to stop herself, she took a step back. Her hand discreetly grabbed after her wand inside her robes. She waited for Malfoy to burst.

"You..." he started, gritting his teeth. A flick of his wand, a grip of his hand on her neck, and Hermione would be dead. Dead and gone. Everything she had done in her life would have been for nothing.

As if on cue, someone cleared their throat down the Hall. Malfoy's head spun around to examine who had the courage, or the stupidity, to interrupt him.

"I expect this will never happen again, and that you will behave yourself as long as you are all here." Hermione wondered how long the Headmistress had been standing there. "I will certainly not tolerate Hogwarts _teachers_ behaving worse than the students."

Hermione looked down on the table, avoiding eye contact with the old but powerful witch. "Of course, Professor."

Hermione, Neville and Malfoy spent the rest of the breakfast in silence while the other teachers arrived, one after one. When she wasn't able to take more furious looks from Malfoy and accusing ones from McGonagall, Hermione excused herself and went to her chamber.

This was certainly going to be more challenging than she had first thought.


	10. Chapter 10

_**A/N:**__I'm not going to pretend this fic is at all accurate so in the world where it takes place, Home Alone was filmed sometime during the 1980's and the actors I mention are really old. Also, I skipped the sorting hat's song. SO SUE ME._

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**The One with the Awkward Waves**

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Hermione sat on her chair in the Great Hall, more tense than she had ever been before. The large doors opened up and in walked Neville Longbottom, followed by numerous eleven year olds. As they went past the other students it was almost like Neville was looking more nervous than the first years. Hermione turned to look at Professor McGonagall who didn't look completely comfortable sitting on the Headmistress' chair. For how long had she been the one to lead the anxious children towards the Sorting hat? Hermione shook her head to avoid thinking about the late Headmaster. After the war, it had been Professor Flitwick's role and now it had been temporarily passed onto Neville Longbottom. Who was currently looking like he might throw up as he waited for the Hat to finish its song.

Hermione had always listened carefully to the Sorting Hat's lyrics but this night, she found herself deep in thoughts instead. After breakfast she went straight back to her room. She'd spent the day reading every number of the Prophet, going three weeks back. To her disappointment, her search for a clue, any clue, had been in vain. It was impossible to find anything that could be traced to Flitwick's disappearance, the Order or the remaining Death Eaters. She wanted to do something but she didn't know what. And now the students had arrived. Hermione wouldn't be going anywhere soon.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The Gryffindor cheered like their lives were at the stake when a blonde first year headed for the table. Happiness took over the look of fear in her face.

"Lucius Horn," Neville called. Hermione flinched at the name. A few seats away from her, she saw Malfoy smirking. _Family name_, he mouthed to her. She watched as the blonde related-to-the-ferret 11 year old walked towards the Sorting Hat. The next scene reminded her of when Malfoy had been sorted. Lucius Horn barely touched the hat before it screamed out "SLYTHERIN". Horn walked towards the cheering table with a familiar smirk planted on his face.

More first years were sorted and Hermione drifted off. She was considering what the consequences would be if someone fell in love with a unicorn. The lack of communication would certainly be a problem, not to mention how the physical part of the relationship would work out. Some very disturbing images were growing in her head when something else caught her attention. Hermione was quite sure that McGonagall had just called up a girl named Lucy Thomson. She stretched her neck to look and yes, it was definitely her three-or-four-or-something cousin. But there? At Hogwarts? Participating in the sorting ceremony? Almost as surprising as if Ron would marry a unicorn. She would have to go say hello later that evening. Hermione's mother had obviously forgotten to mention this in her last letter. Maybe it would have taken too long to pop in the sentences "oh and by the way, remember Anthony and Rebecka Thomson from York? We met them at that large family gathering last summer. Well, turns out their youngest daughter is a witch!"

Hermione watched Lucy get sorted into Gryffindor. For a minute it looked like the hat was struggling with choosing a house for her, but her anxious expression disappeared when she walked the cheering table of Gryffindors. The last students were sorted and the Hall fell into silence as the Headmistress prepared for her annual speech.

"First of all, I would like to welcome the new first years. I hope you will all get settled in as soon as possible in your houses and then focus completely on your classes. I also have to warn you that no one is allowed to enter the Forbidden Forest. That counts for _all_ students, despite what year you're in." Curious looks and whispers broke through the older students. McGonagall silenced them with a wave of her hand and then continued. "The teachers have together decided that because of various actions, no Hogsmead weekends will occur this term." At this point, every student in the third to seventh year started talking, booing or staring wide-mouthed at each other. Hermione herself wasn't surprised. She'd been part of the decision but she understood how the students felt. The Hogsmead trips were one of the things that let you go through a term without 6 or 7 serious breakdowns. At least that was what she had heard, Hermione herself had never experienced it. Why should she? School was fun.

"And now, to something completely different." McGonagall waited until it was quiet. "We are also welcoming some new teachers this year. Neville Longbottom, whom you've met before, is now our permanent Herbology teacher." Neville lifted his hand in a gesture that looked like it was supposed to be a casual yet welcoming wave, but ended up as an awkward twitch. "Teaching potions this year, we have Draco Malfoy." At this, Malfoy rose elegantly (at least he thought of it as such) and smiled smugly. The Slytherin table clapped their hands. "Professor Malfoy is also the new head of the Slytherin house." Now the whole Slytherin table stood up and cheered. The Gryffindors gave each other raised eyebrows and annoying glances.

McGonagall waited a few moments before continuing. "Unfortunately, Professor Flitwick will be taking some time off this term. We are fortunate to say that Hermione Granger was willing to step in as your Charms teacher during Professor Flitwick's absence." Every student rose to their feet and clapped their hands. Suprisingly enough to Hermione, that included the Slytherins even if they weren't quite as enthusiastic. War heroes weren't forgotten that easily. Hermione felt as awkward as Neville when she waved her hand as a thank you to the students.

"I believe there are no more announcements tonight." Professor McGonagall smiled. "Enjoy your supper!"

Food appeared on the tables and the noise in the hall grew louder.

* * *

><p>Hermione was wandering down the hallway to her room. The students had all been led up to the common rooms before she had found time to say hello to Lucy so that would have to wait until the upcoming day. Hermione had left earlier than the other teachers so she could do some last minute preparations for her first classes. When she got to her door she could hear a soft knocking, sounding like someone tapping a fork to a glass. Walking in she saw a brown owl outside the window, holding what looked like some sort of paper roll. Hermione opened the window and grabbed candy from her desk and gave it to the animal. She took the roll and watched as the owl flew away into the sky. She looked down at what she was holding and was surprised to find a magazine with the word OK! printed on it.<p>

"Ginny," she sighed while she jumped onto her bed. The girl was probably thinking Hermione needed entertainment if she would be able to survive her new job. Finding it quite stupid and unnecessary, Hermione opened to the magazine and started reading. The first pages held an article concerning children actors and what had happened to them once they'd become celebrities. Britney Spears, Drew Barrymore and that short, British actor, Daniel Radcliffe. Hermione recognized the picture of a boy called Macaulay Culkin. She recalled him being in the Home Alone movies, which she used to watch when she was a child. A thought crossed Hermione's mind after a few moments. In the films, the main character uses pranks and tricks to defend himself. But, what if someone would use it in some other way instead… As in, let's say, revenge?


End file.
